


Recontre

by IcedLemonade



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Alternate Universe, Awkward Crush, Dating, Fights, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Investigations, Krypton, M/M, Pets, Superbat Big Bang 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-22 09:18:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19664428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcedLemonade/pseuds/IcedLemonade
Summary: Life has a way of bringing people together, even if they're from different planets.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to Superbat Big Bang for organizing this event! Although it was my first time joining, they have been very helpful and detailed in explaining what I should do.  
> Much gratitude to Google for teaching this technological noob how to create links on Ao3.  
> Eternal blessings upon my calculator so I don't mess up the posting time.  
> And of course, big fat kudos to my dear artists, Ms.3 and Santheum, for bringing the story to life! It has been awesome working with you guys, words cannot describe just how grateful I am. You can check out their wonderful art [HERE](https://m.imgur.com/a/stegPQI) and [HERE](http://santheum.tumblr.com)

Bruce grunted and tightened his grip on the ship's controller. Around him, metal debris and glass shards flew around chaotically. In fact, the entire spacecraft was spinning into space. He glanced over his shoulder. Diana had her sword embedded into her seat, holding on with grim determination.

  
In the periphery of his eyes, a red planet came into view. Musing every ounce of strength he has left, he steered the ship towards it.

  
"Warning. Losing altitude. Warning..." With a furious crackle, the speaker died, spewing bright white sparkles into the air.

  
He yelled in frustuation and punched at the radio, knowing well that it was gone forever, along with their last hope of communication with Earth. While he was mindlessly punching the console, the hab breached, unable to withstand the torrendous pressure inside.

  
He felt his seat jolt backwards. Beside him, controllers were ripped out of the ship and flew out into space. Mentally cursing, he flipped the brakes, but they were unresponsive.

  
The ship was falling apart. Outside, metal hulls shattered and flew off. Inside, shards of perspex and controllers were sucked out the breach. Bruce felt his seat wobble dangerously, but refused to bulge, and continued to fiddle stubbornly at the consoles. The control pad above him shook violently, then dislocated, hitting him hard on the head. He blacked out.

* * *

  
He heard shouts. Distant and distorted. He felt himself being dragged. First was rocky hot terrains, then smooth cold tiles. Though he was not awake, his conciousness was strong. Finally, after what seems like hours, he was released, and he slumped onto the floor.

  
A strong hand gripped his cowl and pulled his head up. A cold needle pricked his neck.

  
Like emerging from a trance, the world slowy came into view. He was in the middle of a a huge spherical room, surrounded by rows after rows of oddly dressed people. The walls were furnished to a snowy white, lit by hundreds of striped lights extending to the floor and converging at a point in the centre. At the far end of the room was a throne, and in it sat an elegantly dressed woman.

  
_People!_ Bruce realised. _I must be back on Earth._ He tried to stand up, but was held down by a pair of steely hands on his shoulders, forcing him to kneel.

  
"Identify yourselves." The woman in the throne boomed, her voice resonating throughout the room. "Who are you, and what are your purposes?"

  
Confused, Bruce looked around, and saw Diana knelt down next to him, her head held high in pride.

  
The woman looked at them for a few seconds. "I am speaking your language correctly, am I not?"

  
"My queen," The man holding Bruce said, "They've just experienced a crash landing. Perhaps they're still in shock? We can ask them later-"

  
"Rubbish!" A harsh voice cut him off. It was a man standing next to the queen. He was in full armour, jet-black plates criss-crossing each other with fashionable complexity. His face was scarred and scrunched, and he has a greying goatie which made him look older than he was. "They must be spies from Earth. We should kill them already! Kal, take them away."

  
Kal tightened his grip on Bruce's shoulder protectively and scowled. "No, father. We should at least give them a chance to explain!"

  
"Enough!" The Queen barked. "General Zod, we will not commit murder. Or did you wish to disgrace me?"

  
Zod dropped to his knees swiftly. "Never, my queen."

  
"Get up." She commanded. "Kal, you'll escort the newcomers to their dormitories and take care of their food and daily needs until furthur instruction."

  
"Yes, my queen!" Kal said.

  
"The gathering is dismissed." She announced.

  
"Come on." Bruce felt himself being lifted up to his feet. But the second he tried to stand, his head felt light and his vision spotted. He felt his heart rate rise to an alarming level, the blood threatening to burst his ear drum. He knelt back down before he fainted.

  
Kal looked worriedly at him, then picked him up in his hands, carrying him bridal style. Diana snorted a laugh next to hm.

  
"Please bear with me." He smiled.

  
Bruce was lightheaded the whole way, and the second they reach their rooms, he was already on the verge of passing out. He sat on the bed, feeling confused and dizzy.

  
Suddenly, a bubble was placed over his head, and the dizziness went away quicky. He frowned, trying to touch it, but it felt like nothing.

  
"Air mask." Kal explained simply.

  
Slowly, Bruce nodded. He could only stare at Kal, stare at his broad figure. Are all aliens hot like this?

  
"What is this?" Kal asked suddenly, motioning at the cowl, "Some kind of winter wear?"

  
He took the cowl off, ignoring how the other froze at his touch. "You look better without this, human."

  
"Bruce." He said, blushing unconsiously. "My name is Bruce."

  
"And I'm Kal. Nice to meet you." He beamed, and extended a hand. "Is this how your kind does it?"

  
Bruce shook the hand wordlessly, his entire brain focused on the blue hue of his eyes.

  
Kal grinned like a child who'd received their Christmas present. "Well, I have to go get you guys food now. If you have any problems, I'll be right outside."

He exited, leaving Bruce feeling hot and dazed.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce awoke to someone looming over his bed. Adrenaline kicking in, he sprung up, ready to punch anything that moved.

  
"Whoa, easy there, I didn't mean to scare you."

  
It's Kal. Of course it was. Who else has the key to his room?

  
Groaning, Bruce sat up and stared him dead in the eye. Kal was looking perfect, as usual. His hair was curled and touseled in a perfect way, and his armour from yesterday was changed to a loose-fitting blue robe, bringing out his eyes.

  
"So," Bruce grumbled, struggling to keep his body under control. "You like to stare at people sleeping."

  
"No, I..." Kal scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. Bruce died a little at the smile. "I just wanted to check on you, see if you're okay..." He trailed off.

  
"Okay." Bruce said, and took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. "Can you tell me about this place?"

  
"This is your dormitory, in the upper west wing of the capital." Kal said.

  
"No, I mean..."

  
"Oh! You mean..." Kal grinned as he realised. "This is the planet Krypton! And we're in the capital, Kryptopolis!"

  
Bruce stayed silent as he took in the information. Krypton was not on any of his databases, so it has to be at least several million light years away from Earth. _Dang it,_ Bruce thought, how're they ever going to get back? And the ship...all the communication devices were definitely burnt to nothing. How is he going to tell Alfred? And all his children... Bruce was struck by a sudden fear. They probably think he's dead.

  
"You okay?" Kal peered at Bruce worriedly, "You look so...troubled for a second there."

  
"I'm fine." Bruce dismissed. "Uh... how're you so fluent in English?" He asked quickly, desperate to change the topic.

  
"Oh, I'm required to learn at least five inter-glalactic languages before adulthood, but I've picked up a few more on my own." Kal grinned, proud of himself.

  
"He's picked up more than a few, that's for sure." A female voice interrupted the pair. It was the Queen, standing in full attire at the door.

  
Kal smiled at her. "Sis! You can't just barge into people's rooms like that!"

  
"I could say the same to you." She huffed. "Kal here is fluent in more than half a dozen languages. He's always got a knack for languages, wanted to be a writer, but father forced him to be a warrior instead."

  
Bruce got up. "My queen, nice to meet you. I, uh..." He stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

  
"Kara, please. Nice to meet you too! And spare the formalities. You're our guest here!" Kara smiled, her eyes twinkling. "I've arranged everything with my committee. You and your friend are welcome to stay here. In the meantime, our top scientists will be working on your ship and a transmission device, so that you can contact Earth. Once the ship is completed, however, you'll have to leave. It's against our law that Krypton accept more refugees."

  
"Actually, it's Zod who wants to kick you out..." Kal muttered.

  
"That's... fantastic, Kara!" Bruce exclaimed, "Thank you so much."

  
"Also, this room will be your house. I suggest you take up a job or some kind, or you'll be bored to death before the ship is even halfway completed." Kara added, "Kal will brief you all about it later on the tour."

  
"The tour?" Bruce echoed.

  
"Yes, the tour!" Kara said, "Won't want you to get lost, right?"

  
"I'm in no hurry to get lost..." Bruce said, staring at his muddy batsuit. "But this..."

  
Kara gave him a once-over and wrinkled her nose in disapproval. "No, definitely not. Kal, go get him something to wear."

  
Kal sped out of the room and returned a few minutes later with a heap of clothes in his hands. By then, Kara has already left to business. "I don't know which one you'd prefer, so I just took the entire pile." He smiled sheepishly.

  
"Right..." Picking up the first clothing, he noticed that they were all robes. Silky and comfortable, it felt like having a cloud wrapped around your body. Finally, he choose a simple outfit: a single-sleeved black robe with golden highlights and a brown belt. Along were a pair of sandels.

  
"Hm, interesting." Bruce commented.

* * *

  
They walked around the complex side by side. Kal was much taller than him, as was everyone else. Bruce straightened his back unconciously. It felt weird, as he was usually the tall one back on Earth. Still, he couldn't stop sneaking glances at him. It was distracting.

  
Krytonopolis was actually a huge transparent dome in the middle of nowhere, and in that dome, is where everyone and everything lives. Towering skyscrapers were clustered in the middle, and zigzaged between them were lines of self-powering transportation, zooming past every few seconds. At the far end, near the park, was the palace, where Bruce stayed.

  
They reached the city centre, a large clearing in the middle of crowded skyscrapers.

  
Kal began to point out the important locations, the restaurants, the labs, the training grounds, and the various commercial centres. It was a lot to take in, but Bruce, having a perfect memory, had no problem remembering all that.

  
"Oh, there's also one more thing I'd like to show you." Kal added. He took out a small whistle, and blew it. No sound seemed to come out at first, but a few seconds later, a giant figure appeared in the sky.

  
It passed through the dome, its collar beeping green as it did, and glided gracefully down, landing next to Kal. It was milky white, and looked like a cross between a baby dragon and a hippogriff. Two pairs of wings resembling those of a damselfly's glimmered in the sun. It was gigantic, more than ten metres from nose to tail.

  
It flapped its wings, showing off, then purred at Kal, nuzzling at his neck affectionately.

  
"Bruce, meet Kelex." Kal smiled.

  
Kelex opened its mouth and panted at Bruce. Instinct made his hand go towards its snout, and he patted the soft patch of skin. It felt... wooly.

  
Without warning, Kelex snuggled itself up against Bruce, making him trip to the ground, then gave him a huge wet lick.

  
"Kelex!" Kal shouted, stern but amused. "Bruce, I'm so sorry. She's very affectionate."

  
"I can see that." Bruce got to his feet, peering down at his dripping wet robe with disdain "I guess I need to change. Again."

  
"Yeah, let's go back. It's almost lunch. I can take you somewhere nice." Kal offered.

  
"That's... good." Bruce stuttered, a flush creeping up his face.

  
Kal peered at him. "Your face is red. Should I turn up the oxygen content for you?"

  
"No! It's fine!" Bruce said quickly.

  
"Is it the sun? I can inject some protective jelly in the bubble..."

  
"No, it's really nothing. Trust me." Bruce signed. "Also, red sun? You mean a red dwarf?"

  
"No. Unlike Earth, the sun on krypton is red, so we call it a red sun. Its radiation patterns are slightly different from the yellow sun, which weakens us." Kal explained, becoming scientific all of a sudden.

  
"That's why you need the dome." Bruce realized.

  
"Yeah. We also use emitters that emit radiation patterns similiar to that of a yellow sun, so we can enchance our physical powers in battle." Kal smiled. "It makes us stronger and faster."

  
"Sounds like fiction to me." Bruce grumbled, "Imagine if the sun makes you strong."

  
"It does." Kal said, "That's why father always insisted that we should attack Earth and colonise it because of its yellow sun. Luckily, most of the council are against it."

  
"Your father..." Bruce recalled his first sight of Krypton, the white spherical room. "General Zod?"

  
"Yeah." Kal mumbled, a hint of spite in his tone.

  
"...Kal?"

  
"Nothing. Just..." Kal trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.

  
"You... are you alright?"

  
"No, it's..." Kal breathed in sharply. "Just don't let him get under your skin. I know he's... troubling sometimes."

  
"I can take care of myself." Bruce argued.

  
"No, you don't understand." Kal suddenly looked worried, and gripped both hands on Bruce's shoulder. "He has a thing against aliens, and..." He tightened his grip. "I'm afraid that he'll hurt you."

  
Bruce stared at him, frozen, not knowing how to respond.

  
"That's why Kara stationed me as your guardian! He has less chance of getting to you if I'm there, and-" Kal said frantically.

  
"Alright, Kal. Relax." Bruce reassured, "I know how to fight, Kal. I'm not helpless if he decides to attack."

  
"I know, I just..." Slowy, Kal let go of his shoulder, and signed deeply. "I'm sorry... I overreacted."

  
"Let's go get lunch, okay?" Bruce offered. "My robe is almost dry."

  
"Sure." Kal smiled, but it was lacking the usual shine on it that Bruce adored the most. As if his smile can control the weather, the dome darkened, and gray clouds began to form.

  
"Oh, I almost forgot. Today is rain day! Come on!" Kal said, grabbing Bruce's hand, and ran for shelter.


	3. Chapter 3

Kal took Bruce out for lunch that day, and every day after that.

  
They would usually go somewhere simple. A nice little cafe in the outskirts of the dome or a family takeaway counter. Kal said that it drew less attention, but the food was really good, genetically modified to suite everyone's needs.

  
Bruce dove into his lunch. Today, it's a star-shaped disc of flour with a variety of Kryptonian vegetable powder spinkled like stardust. It's not much, but the flour was modified to have an excess amount of starch in it that you would be full no matter what.

  
He finished it in one bite, and immediately felt the satisfying expansion of flour in his stomach, and burped.

  
Kal snickered at the burp, and continued to gaze at Bruce. He'd been doing this every time they ate, staring at Bruce as if there was an uncrackable code printed on his face. He found it annoying, but was at the same time a little turned on by that intense gaze. He has to use all the training he'd received from countless years in Nepal to control his body.

  
Finally, Kal broke eye contact and proceeded to pay, but was tugged back to his seat at the last second.

  
"Is there a reason for all these... lunches?" Bruce asked, actively avoiding the word "date".

  
If Kal was suprised, he showed no sign of it. "You don't have money."

  
"That's it?" Bruce pressed, "Nothing else?"

  
"Well... I'm your bodyguard." Kal said, and laughed nervously.

  
Bruce's brows narrowed, but said nothing.

  
"Well actually, I..." Kal blurted, "I enjoy your company."

  
Bruce smiled and blushed slightly. "Not much people say that. They think I'm insufferable."

  
"And, I like you a lot." Kal grinned. "I like how you look in Kryptonian clothing, and I like your eyes."

  
Bruce can't stop the flush from rising to his face. He bit his lip, fighting the urge to grin like an idiot.

  
"So..." Kal pondered, "Can we be friends?"

  
"Friends?" Bruce echoed. Kal nodded his head eagerly.

  
"I..." Disappointment crashed into him like a tidal wave, and his smile started to stutter and fade. Still, years of playboy experience was useful, despite what people thought, and forcefully, painfully, he put a fake smile on his face.

  
"Sure. I'd be delighted." He strained behind the facade.

  
Kal was too overjoyed to notice the fall in emotion, and, grinning cheerfully, led Bruce out into the streets. "Come on! Let's get a friendship bracelet!"

  
Bruce froze for a whole second. "A what?!"

  


* * *

  
They got a matching blue and black friendship bracelet. They had a shield symbol and a bat carved on them by request.

  
"It that the symbol on your... armour? So it's supposed to be a bat." Kal said when he received the bracelets.

  
"Yes, what did you think it was?"

  
"A mutant orchid?" Kal joked.

  
Bruce shot him a glare, but it had no effect on the kryptonian. He took the bracelet wordlessly. Honestly, it looked better than Bruce thought. At least he could hide it under his sleeve, but then Kal would give him such a sad puppy face that Bruce was forced to roll up his sleeves.

  
Apparantly, only the best friends get such a bracelet. Bruce wondered what he'd done to become Kal's best friend in less than three days. He had only seen a handful of people around here who wear them.

  
Still, as basic as the bracelet was, none of that kryptonian high-tech stuff, Bruce felt a special connection when he looked at it. Some strange combination of reassurance and excitment, and that washed away any lingering sense of dissapointment.

  
Yes, they're just friends, best friends, and Bruce is content with that.


	4. Chapter 4

By the second week, Bruce was used to waking up with Kal stationed next to his bed like an eagle. Then, he'd ask futilely for him to get out before being hypnotised by those blue eyes. After breakfast, they'd train together at the local gym, then grab some lunch just before noon. Afterwards, it'll be Kal's work shift, which lasts until dinner.

  
During those few parting hours, Bruce has found a part-time job at a small drink shop. Apparantly, alien employers are good for the shop's image. The wage was non-existent, but the job keeps his mind occupied. Diana, on the other hand, works at the gym as trainee, and she gives him a free pass whenever him and Kal go at her shift.

  
Kal tried asking what Bruce did back on Earth, but everytime he did, Bruce dismissed it with a wave and a snort, saying that it's dangerous, kind of like the warrior stuff Kal's doing, which perked his interest immediately.

  
"Warrior stuff? I wanna see you fight! You must be super good at it!" Kal beamed.

  
"I hope you never get to, everytime I fight is because of some clown." Bruce said.

  
"A clown? You mean a childish person?"

  
"No, a literal clown." Bruce smirked at Kal's confused expression.

  
Now, Bruce has a very hyper Kryptonian dragging him out into the streets. It was typhoon day today. He wasn't sure he liked this weather control thing a lot.

  
"Kal, what is this?" Bruce asked as they practically tumbled down the stairs. Kal grinned widely.

  
"I'm sorry for this to be so sudden, but I booked us a place downtown, and it's almost time!"

  
"Time for what?" Bruce yelled over the rushing wind.

  
Kal remained silent and continued fighting the wind, leaving Bruce perplexed. Hundreds of possible seanarios popped up in his head, listed in terms of possibility. At the very bottom was a zombie apcalypse, followed by a date.

  
Finally, they defeated the winds and found shelter in an amusement park, walled with a dome of its own. Bruce took one look at the surroundings and frowned.

"I think this place is for kids, Kal. Are you sure you booked the correct place?" He questioned.

  
"Positive!" Kal smiled, then proceeded to check in.

  
As much as he denied it being a "children's funhouse", every corner of it screams the part. Hell, they even have a cupcake workshop.

  
Kal seemed to enjoy the baking workshops. He would walk over and correct other kids if they're doing something wrong, and even whisper tips to them. As a result, every kid in the workshop baked such marvelous cakes that their scent took over the entire park.

  
Bruce was attracted to the game booths, and stopped in front of a shooting booth, examining the bow. It was strangely similar to the regular bows on Earth, only much more fancy.

  
The man at the counter started to speak passionately to him, but it was in Kryptonian. Bruce caught a few words, but other than that it sounded like a slur. Kal quickly came to his rescue.

  
"He thinks that you should try it out." Kal translated, "You can win one of the above prizes if you shoot the target three times."

  
Bruce gave the target a once over and picked up the bow. This should be a piece of cake. He stretched the bow string, feeling the satisfactory grow of tension in between his fingers. It'd been so long since he had touched one of these things.

  
"Uh, actually, I won't recommend you do that. It's really hard. Trust me, I've tried it." Kal said, scratching his head with embarrassment.

  
Bruce ignored him and shot the target. It missed by a whole feet.

  
The man snickered, obviously proud that he'd managed to scam another mindless person.

  
Bruce gave a good-natured smile and picked up another arrow. He shot again, and it landed perfectly in the centre. He took another shot, and again it was bull's eye.

  
The man's smirk faded.

  
Finally, Bruce took the remaining two arrows and shot them at the same time. They hit the target gracefully, embedding into the wood with a satisfying thunk.

  
Kal's mouth was open with disbelief as Bruce choose his prize. Next to him, the man was not even trying to hide his grumbling and discontent, and shot an death stare at Kal.

  
Bruce choose an oversized red plush bear, or what he thought it is. Kryptonian animals are weird. He stuffed it into Kal's hands.

  
"Happy birthday." He said simply.

  
"How did you-" Kal took the bear, and squished it happily. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

  
"Seriously? Kara's been decorating the entire palace with festive items, and according to my research, Krypton doesn't hold festivals at this time of the year. Also, you're dressed differently today, and you have those ridiculous feathers on your head. Lastly, you've skipped gym and your job today."

  
"Wow, I..." Kal smiled, "I never knew you were so observant."

  
"It's just a skill." Bruce said, "I mean, people find it annoying and kind of creepy, but...you don't."

  
"I think it's incredible." Kal admitted.

  
Bruce blushed harder than the bear.

  
"Come on! There's a knive-throwing booth over there! Let's see if we can win some more prizes..." Kal shouted, and bolted towards the other booths.

  
They ended up visiting every single booth in the park, and won every one of them. Time flew, and soon, it was dusk. Kal's hands were filled with plush toys, his face beaming.

  
They sat down on a bench next to the picnic area, calm and undisturbed. The Kryptonian sunset turned the sky into a blanket of fire, consuming any remaining light and burning them until they glowed a fiercy red.

  
Soon, the fire died out, and darkness ruled the land.

  
"Thank you so much for today, Bruce." Kal said. "I haven't enjoyed myself that much in such a long time."

  
Bruce smiled. "I enjoyed myself as well, Kal. Thanks for taking me here."

  
Kal returned the smile, his eyes twinkling. "I... uh... honestly don't know what to do with all these." He huffed, looking at the plush toys surrounding them in a circle.

  
Bruce laughed. "I think we overkilled."

  
"Yeah." Kal grinned.

  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the trannquility. Then, Kal turned around and clamped Bruce into an embrace.

  
"Wha-?" Bruce stuttered, alarmed.

  
"Thank you so much, Bruce." Kal whispered, hugging him tightly against his body.

  
Bruce shuddered at the warmth, and yearned to clutch the other into a hug, to feel his rosy cheeks on his hands, or just to run his fingers through those soft curls. But instead, he stayed as stotic as a statue, unmoving, refusing to touch back. Because he knows that if he tried, he won't be able to hold back.


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce signed for the hundreth time, bored to death.

  
It was a public holiday, which meant nothing is opened outside. Everyone are suposed to stay home and enjoy quality time with their loved ones. Diana was out for a run. Kal was at the palace, probably at a royal feast with Kara and General Zod.

  
Zod... The memory of Kal's fear for his father struck him. What could have possibly happened between them that Kal hated his own father? Bruce knew from first-hand experience that children only get mad at their parents, but hatred?

  
He didn't have any gadgets with him, they're all lost in the crash, but he still has his skills. He decided to walk around and eavesdrop for a bit.

  
Bruce strolled through the maze of white corridors, their layout and secret tunnels clear as daylight in his head. He overheard a few technicians talking about a ship in kryptonian. Interested, he began following them.

  
He could understand most of their conversation now, but a few words were still missed. Just as he was about to inch clower, a hand struck out from the dark and snatched him.

  
Bruce raised a fist and punched out blindly at the dark figure. It ducked swiftly and grabbed both his wrists in superspeed.

  
He caught a glimpse of the figure's arms and stopped struggling. "I thought you were out running."

  
"And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one." Diana let go of his wrists and hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

  
"I'm investigating." Bruce retorted.

  
"By just following anyone you see here? They're not blind!" Diana said, cutting Bruce off before he could continue. "Follow me. While you're out flirting with your boyfriend yesterday, I've found something."

  
"He'd not my boyfriend!" Bruce hissed.

  
Diana ignored him and sprinted down the dark hall. Irked and flustered, Bruce followed.

  
She led him through countless stairs and flights, through a million twists and turns, until they reached a part of the compound that even Bruce didn't recognize.

  
Finally, they snuck into a lab, using Diana's stolen keycard.

  
It was cramped, more of a storage room than a laboratory. In the centre was a spaceship.

  
"Is that..." Bruce started.

  
"Yes. That's our ride home. And it's completed, or so I've heard." Diana answered.

  
"If it's completed, then why did they keep it from us?"

  
"That's what I've been trying to figure out." Diana said, "So, what do you think, detective?"

  
Bruce was just about to answer when the the room suddenly blarred red. Diana was on her feet in a less than a second, heading towards the air vent.

  
"They know we're here! Come on!" She yelled, punching the air vent open. They slid through the narrow opening just before the door burst open, marching in a row of armoured soldiers.

  
Bruce clambered though the air vent, blindly following Diana in front. After what seemed like an hour, they reached an opening, and jumped out.

  
The two dashed through the familiar corridors, now flashing red instead of the usual calm. They turned into an adjacent corridor. The dormitories are just a few blocks away.

  
Zod appeared out of nowhere. A swift breeze, and the kryptonian general was standing in front of them, blocking their exit with his bulky figure. The blarring subsidied.

  
Diana skidded to a stop, staring him down with looks that could kill. Bruce peered around, hoping to see Kal or Kara.

  
"What are you two doing here? There was a security breach!" Zod thundered.

  
"We were trying to return to our dormitories! It could be dangerous out here." Diana said with a neutral face.

  
"Where were you before the breach?" Zod questioned.

  
"Just walking around. We had nothing to do." Diana said.

  
"And you?" Zod turned menacingly towards Bruce.

  
"We were together." Bruce said simply.

  
"Did you happen to be anywhere near the restricted lab at the south wing?" Zod asked slowly.

  
"No," Diana began, her head high, "We know that place is off-limits. Why would we go there?"

  
"Why indeed?" Zod remarked, a twisted sneer was beginning to form at the corner of his mouth. He turned to bark at his commanders. "Faora!"

  
A short but fierce-looking female handed him a name card. It has a photo on it, and in a sudden, Bruce realised that it was the same one on Diana's keycard.

  
Zod's eyes were mocking. "Recognize her?"

  
Diana stayed silent, and instead, glared at Zod and his commanders behind, refusing to give in. Faora sneered and began to move forward, her batons out and prepared to strike. Bruce stood into a defensive stance, ready to attack at the first sign of movement.

  
"Stand down!" A commanding voice boomed across the corridor, it was Kara. She swept down the aisle like a gust of wind. Rushing beside her was Kal. He was dressed in what seemed like a formal robe, and god he was gorgeous. Bruce forgot their dire situation for a whole second before snapping back to reality.

  
"My queen." Zod smirked, "I've found evidence of treachery from these two humans. I now ask for permission for their execution."

  
"No one will be executed unless I say so." Kara hissed, glaring at Zod. "Remember your place here, General, or it will be your head on a stick instead of theirs!"

  
She then turned towards Bruce, her expression unreadable. "You two, come with me."

  


* * *

  
They were led towards the ball room for questioning. Zod called it interrogation. Kal was supposed to be moving them along, but he turned back and whispered something to Bruce, reassuring him, until Kara sent him such a look that he sulked back to his position.

  
The questioning was swift. Kara let them go once they'd explained everything, much to Bruce's relief. When asked about the ship, Zod claimed that it was another project. None of them believed him, of course, but they said nothing. Kal has warned about him, after all. Finally, Bruce and Diana were spared from any punishment, under Kal's active defence.

  
Bruce was in a foul mood after the questioning. He stomped back to his room, walking faster than necessary. Kal caught up in seconds.

  
He looked apologetic. "Bruce, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?"

  
Bruce scowled. "Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong, and you defended us!"

  
"I.." Kal scratched his head. "I just wanted to."

  
"Look... It was my fault. I decided to break the rules for a bit." Bruce signed. "I'm just curious and... I have to find out why."

  
"Why what?" Kal asked.

  
"Why you apparantly hate your own father."

  
The statement threw Kal off guard, and he froze.

  
"Kal?" Bruce looked nervous. "Did I... did I say something?"

  
Kal shook his head as if that would clear all the problems in the world. "No," He gave a plastered smile. "It's fine. It's nothing."

  
"Kal. I know when people are lying-"

  
"Please, Bruce. Can we go somewhere else to talk?" Kal practically begged.

  
Bruce studied Kal's face. His cornflower blue eyes were darker than usual, dulled with a mixture of emotions. His brows drawn together in worry. Even those rosy cheeks were toned down to a darker shade.

  
He looked away, unable to bear the other's overwhelming grief. He has to do something to revert it, and bring back the sunshine.

  
"Fine. You lead." Bruce said passively.


	6. Chapter 6

  
They ended up outside the dome, into the bleak red landscape of Krypton. Kal made Bruce wear protective armour, which was basically a transparent bubble barrel covering him from head to toe. Kal himself was in a suit of blue and red armour, heavily plated but still fashionable.

  
"I feel like a goldfish." Bruce grumbled, kicking at the bubble.

  
"What's a... Gold Fish?"

  
"Nevermind."

  
They trudged through the barren ground, until they reached a hill, only three hundred meters away from the dome. They sat down, side by side.

  
"I like to come here whenever I want to be alone." Kal explained, smiling into the sky. "All this emptiness... it really clears my head."

  
Bruce agreed with a nod of his head. There was nothing to see except for rock and sand, and the only sounds were the weak whistling of wind. The closest security systems are a mile away. They entirely were on their own.

  
He sat in silence, watching the kryptonian sky like Kal. Hints of red from the atmosphere shinned in his peaceful eyes. It was the first time Bruce'd ever seen him so calm.

  
"He's not actually my father." Kal said out of nowhere.

  
"Hmm?" Startled, Bruce turned towards him in confusion.

  
"General Zod. He's not my biological father." Kal said, and looked down. "I was just a baby at the time, but Kara witnessed the whole thing. She told me afterwards."

  
Bruce kept silent, but prompted him on with a nod.

  
"He... he murdered my parents to become King, but... the council denied him, and elected Kara instead as she was the true heir. Luckily, Zod kept quiet, but we know he's going to strike." Kal explained, his fists clenching. "He never gives up on power."

  
"He's a murderer! You should get rid of him, you're the commander!" Bruce said.

  
Kal signed. "If only it were that easy. Most of Krypton's army are under his lead. Even if I were King I still won't be able to control them."

  
Bruce pondered for a moment. "I'm sorry for your parents." He whispered.

  
Kal shook his head. "I don't remember anything about them anyways." He gave a pathetic huff. "I guess it's better this way."

  
"..." Bruce thought of his parents. He remembered them fondly: their picnics at the park, his mischief, and how they ruffled his hair when he got first in biology. Sometimes, he really wished that he could erase those bittersweet memories, spare himself the pain. But the same memories were what made him stronger, made him pick himself up whenever he fell.

  
Bruce looked at Kal. His gaze was distant, but underneath the million layers of blue laid revenge. In a split second, Bruce could have sworn he saw them turn murderous.

  
"Kal." He broke the silence. "I know how you feel, and... I'm happy that you could open up to me."

  
"And I'm happy that you listened." Kal gave a genuine smile, any remains of murder in his eyes vanished. "I don't have many friends, but... even though I haven't known you for long, I just like talking to you."

  
Bruce felt his heart skip a beat.

  
"I mean... maybe it's because you're from another planet. You don't understand the complexities of Krypton, that makes you easy to talk to." Kal huffed, his fingers dancing along the bare red rock. "Or because..."

  
Bruce stared at him, urging him to go on.

  
"Because... I...like you." Kal finished.

  
The confession hit him like a tidal wave, and he reeled back before recovering in a blushing mess, flustered from his erratic behaviour. He wasn't used to emotions. The word itself is foriegn and untouched, buried deep within whenever he actually felt anything. This sudden experience of feeling made him clueless of what to do, what to say. A thousand different physical responses popped up in his brain, followed by a million different verbal responses.  
Instead of following the plans in his head, Bruce stared blankly at Kal.

  
"I'm sorry, I know that's unexpected..." Kal chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "I like you, Bruce, but I don't want to make this awkward for us."

  
His eyes flickered to the darkening Krypton sky, longing but disconnected. Finally, he broke the tension between them by standing up.

  
"It's getting late, you should go rest now."

  
Bruce took a whole second to process the sentence before trudging back to the giant dome like a programmed robot. Halfway there, he subconsiously looked back. Kal was still staring up at the speckled sky, his hair billowing in the wind.

  
Bruce stepped back into the dome and into his room.


	7. Chapter 7

The moment his foot touched the floor of his room he knew he'd messed up.

  
He'd said nothing, did nothing but stare.

  
Like an idiot.

  
And because of his passiveness, Kal thought he didn't like him back.

  
Bruce signed into his palms and felt his heart burning. A single tear rolled into his hands and was wiped furiously onto the bedsheets.

  
_Why the hell am I so bad at this?_ Bruce punched the bed, not caring if it broke. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

  
He collapsed into the bed and buried his face in the pillows. Kal had told him that he liked him, and he did nothing. A perfect opportunity wasted and burnt into ashes.

  
_If only I'd said something, anything..._

  
He laid there for a few minutes, wetting the pillows with tears of self-despite. Finally, breathing heavily, he stood up, unusually calm.

He punched the metallic bedframe, then again, and again, his brain filtering out the pain automatically. He attacked it mercilessly, pummeling with a fury of fists until blood flew and stained his face.

  
He gave it one last kick before collasping into bed. The bedframe was speckled with blood. the blood of an idiot.

  
He dozed off.

  


* * *

  
Kal was nowhere to be found the next day. No surprise there, but Bruce has started to miss him terribly. The mornings became dull without Kal next to his bed, waiting for him to wake up. The afternoons grew boring without Kal's lively prescence when he trained at the gym. And afterwards, disappointment when he walked the halls of the complex without seeing him even once. By evening, he was feeling downright petulant.

  
He was in such a bad mood that he'd even snapped back at some of Zod's commanders. They'd probably come and murder him later but he'd welcome the challenge.

  
Night came. As Bruce tried to scrub off the dried blood stains on the bedframe, he received a call from Kara.

  
"Bruce? I know this is sudden, but I need you to come over to the grand hall right now."

  
Bruce studied his smudgy bedframe. No one would probably come in and suspect anything. "Alright, I'm on my way."

  
The call ended as swiftly as it started. As Bruce changed, he wondered what could possibly be the matter for a late night meeting?

  
And as he headed towards the hall, he realized that Kal would probably be there, and almost turned back until a hand slapped down on his shoulder.

  
Diana laughed at Bruce's jump, then released him, delighted that she'd managed to scare the almighty Batman.

"Kara called you as well?"

  
"Yeah." Bruce scowled.

  
"Any idea why, detective?"

  
"No, but we'll find out soon." Bruce said as they approached the delicatedly carved round door of the hall. On the other side of it stood Kara, casual and at ease. She was dressed in a loose-fitting fuchsia gown which resembles Diana's sleeping robe.

  
"Finally! You guys took your time." Kara exclaimed, rushing to greet them. "I apologize for the adrupt invitation, but as this is of highly classified matter, no one else should know of our meeting tonight."

  
Where's Kal? Bruce thought, as he surveyed the empty hall.

  
"As much as I trust Kal, the fewer people who know about this, the better." Kara said, reading Bruce's mind. "Come. There's something I wanted to show you."

  
They followed the Queen in silent curiousity as they went through a secret passage, weaving through the cramped and maze-like walls stealthily. At last, they crept out of an air vent.

  
In front of them was the lab Bruce and Diana'd snuck in yesterday. And in the centre of the room, the spaceship. They were in such a hurry to leave the last time they'd been here that they didn't even have time to look at the ship. Now, with the lights turned on, Bruce could fully admire the advanced technologies of Krypton. The spaceship looked somewhat chubby and inefficient, but the interior machineries definitly made up for it. He ran his fingers over a clear pocket of plasma, then the connecting tubes. It was nothing like anything he'd seen on Earth.

  
Fighting crime would be so much more easier with these... Bruce thought.

  
"This is amazing!" Diana said, investigating a pair of boosters. "If my assumptions were correct, this is our ride home, no?"

  
"That was originally the plan, but the council has made some... ammendments in their decision." Kara said, her eyes downcast. "I was strongly against the idea, but for the time being, you're stationed here on Krypton."

  
"The council? More likely Zod and his commanders!" Bruce huffed. He don't know what this Zod asshole has in mind for them, but whatever it is, he's going find out. "He's keeping us here. Why?"

  
"I inquired him afterwards, and he gave me no clear answer. Kept saying things like it's too dangerous to travel right now, there's an intergalactic war going on... " Kara signed, rubbing the space between her eyes, "So yeah, I'd advise you to stay away from him, and don't do anything that might anger his commanders either."

  
"This is unacceptable! We'll get to the bottom of it!" Diana fumed, her entire posture screaming war.

  
Kara smiled. "I knew you guys wouldn't hide from something like this. I'm currently investigating as well, and I'll be more than happy to lend you help."

  
"And... what about Kal?" Bruce asked.

  
"My brother is always under high surveillance by Zod. I didn't want to put him in danger," said Kara.

  
Bruce stood in silent contemplation while Diana looked really to fight the entire Krypton army.

  
"The cleaners will be coming soon. We should go." Kara said, checking the time. "Come on."

  
They went back by a different route where the air vents are even tighter. With difficulty, Bruce pulled himself through the narrow opening, over-estimated the force needed, and fell out with a thump.

  
Diana winced at the noise and checked the coridoors hastily. Distant footsteps can be heard.

  
"Go! Your rooms are right there!" Kara hissed, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

  
Bruce and Diana sped into their rooms, locking the door with a click.

  
Bruce flumped onto his bed, still cursing himself for the slip he'd made. All this time at Krypton has made him less agile, and the gym didn't help much. He squeezed his stomach and felt a new ring of fat.

  
Alfred is going to kill him if he ever finds out on all the extra weight he'd put on. Bruce smiled at the thought of Alfred, then frowned as a wave of homesickness hit him. He stared out the window, at the multitudes of stars lighting up the night sky. Somewhere out there is Earth, his home, his family, which he'll likely never see again. With a deep breath, the turmoil in his heart subsidized, and he made his way towards the showers, unaware of the pair of glazing red eyes spying at him from afar.


	8. Chapter 8

Bruce was hoping to avoid Kal for the next few days until he'd found a way on how to confess. He'd been doing research in the public libraries, even had a notebook delicated to pick-up lines and dating etiquette, but none of the information he collected seemed useful.

  
He groaned into his hands and cleared the browser history. As he tried to close the computer, he accidentally clicked on the library's homepage, and Kal's image popped up. He was holding up bundles of books like the nerd he was, smiling unbelievably wide despite the bulk of school textbooks in his arms. Bruce stared at the advertisement for a whole second before clicking the browser shut, using more force than necessary. As he collected his notes, he felt a warm bubbling sensation rising from his chest all the way to his cheeks. The room felt stuffy and hot, despite the cooler being on full blast.

  
He rushed out of the library and into the streets, crowded with businessmen. It was almost time for lunch. As he pondered on what to eat, he spotted a familiar figure at the corner of his eyes.

  
It was Kal. Frantic, Bruce immediately dodged out of sight and hid behind a lamp.

  
_This is absurd, Bruce thought, I should just go and talk to hi- NO!_ He shook his head, feeling a blush creeping up his face. _My robe is wrinkled today and I didn't gel..._

  
"Bruce! You're here!" Kal exclaimed, popping out of nowhere. "Come on, let's go have lunch!"

  
"Kal!" Bruce said, his face flushing deeper. He averted his eyes and stared at a random spot in the distant. "Why are yo... where were you yesterday?"

  
Kal scratched his head. "There was a suprise health check at the military yesterday, sorry I couldn't tell you in time."

  
"You almost gave me a heart attack back there." Bruce pouted.

  
Kal's face blanched. "Heart attac- Oh Rao, Bruce are you okay?? Do you need the hospital-"

  
"Hospital?! No! I'm fine!"

  
"Your face is so red! Your coronary arteries are probably ruptured and you need oxygen..." Kal panicked, adjusting Bruce's air bubble frantically. He picked him up. "You need the hospital, now."

  
"Kal! I said I'm fine!" Bruce shouted, trying to free himself from Kal's iron embrace. "Can you please put me down?"

  
"You're ...fine?"

  
"Yes!"

  
"We need to make sure you're fine." Kal said as he turned on a device on his wrist.

  
"Kal, I'm perfectly capable of knowing whether I'm fine or not, now put me downaaAAH-" He yelped as they were launched into the sky.

  
"Sorry, but this is the fastest way to get there." Kal smiled apologetically. "I hope you're not afraid of heights."

  
"What the fuck?!" Bruce shouted as he realized they were flying, and stopped struggling. "What the... how?"

  
"Yellow sun energy, it gives us powers." Kal said.

  
"Now I'm really going to have a heart attack." Bruce signed, and immediatly regreted saying that as Kal's face blanched again. "No- I mean... This is fine. But... can we not go to the hospital?"

  
"We need to make sure you're fine!" Kal protested.

  
"Here's how you can make me feel fine: keep flying and don't go to the hospital."

  
Kal frowned. "Keep flying?"

  
"Yeah, I... kinda like it up here." Bruce smiled, and blushed.

  
"... If you're really so sure, then ...ok." Kal said.

  
"And don't mind my face being red. It's perfectly normal for humans to exhibit such behaviour... it's a complicated biological phenomenon. Hard to explain." Bruce said, biting his lip.

  
"O...kay." Kal said.

  
"So," Bruce said, feeling his face drying from the strong winds, "you can fly with this... yellow sun energy?"

  
"Not only that, but our senses are also hightened, and we gain powers. It's pretty cool!" Kal grinned. "For example, I can hear your heartbeat from a mile away. That's how I found you."

  
"You can hear my heartbeat? That's... reassurring." Bruce smiled, and felt himself heating up ever more.

  
"Your heartrate is rising again." Kal remarked with a worrying frown. "It's not a good sign. You sure you're okay?"

  
"Yes," Bruce signed. He's got to take control of his emotions! Think of a rock. Be as cold and uncaring as a stoic rock, breathe in, breathe out. There. His face is back to normal again.

  
"Your lashes are pretty." Kal said out of nowhere.

  
Bruce turned back into a tomato. "Wha...what?"

  
"You closed your eyes just now. It, uh, brings out your eyelashes." Kal smiled shyly.

  
"Um, thank you." It sounded far too monotone, and Bruce was mentally kicking himself when Kal began to descend. The sudden weightlessness reminded Bruce of his patrols, where he'd jump off buildings and let gravity pull him along. The memory ended adruptly when he felt something hard pressing against his waist. Every instinct in him knew what that was, but still, he decided to ignore it, despite himself getting harder by every passing second. When they reached the ground-level, in the middle of a flowery meadow, Bruce quickly turned away to hide his erection, muttering that he needed the toilet. In a gust of wind, Kal appeared in front of him and captured his mouth.

  
Bruce widened his eyes in surprise and attempted to push Kal away, but deep down, he didn't want to, so he gave up the struggle and let Kal invade him.

  
The scents of a million flowers surrounded them, added with a crisp breeze. They devoured each other with their tongues as if the world would end if they stopped. After holding back for so long, they're finally together.

  
Bruce gasped as Kal squeezed his ass. Soon, curious and strong hands reached into his robe and grasped what's hidden inside.

  
"Don't resist, I know you want this." Kal growled, sending shivers down Bruce's spine. He leaned forward and buried his face in the crook of his neck. "You smell good."

  
Bruce moaned, unable to form a single coherent sound.

  
Smirking, Kal brought his weight upon him, pinned him to the ground, and began tearing away at their clothes as if they were paper. His sight lingered on Bruce's bare skin. Suddenly, the scars on Bruce's body felt like red-hot knives, piercing his body, and he covered his face with his arms in embarrassment.

Kal ran his fingers along the scars on his body, his mischeivious eyes suddenly dulled with sorrow. His hand stopped at a diagonal scar across his chest.

  
"This could've killed you." He whispered.

  
Bruce bit his lip. "I told you my job was dangerous."

  
Kal sat there in silence for a few moments, deep in thought, his hand still on the scar.

  
"So, are you going to kiss me or not?" Bruce smirked.

  
Soon, the depressed frown broke into a playful smile, as Kal began to tickle Bruce. Helpless against the sudden assult, he curled into a ball and laughed, trying but failing to avoid those dexterous hands. Soon, they were both too tired from laughing and collapsed on top of each other, heaving for breath.

  
"I think I burnt some fat out of that." Bruce snickered, pinching his stomach.

  
"I can help you burn some more." Kal said with a suggestive smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you've probably noticed, I can't write smut to save my life.


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce woke to a blaring alarm. Instantly, he sprung down his bed, ready to take out anything which posed a threat. The second his feet touched the floor, he stumbled to the ground.

  
He groaned, and realized that the entire dorm was shaking. The walls were flashing red, and muffled alarm sounds rang out from behind the door. He used the walls as support, slowly inching his way towards the door.

  
He opened it and almost tripped outside. People were running everywhere, most of them in battle armour. Among the chaos, Bruce tried to spot Kal's figure, but he could barely get a glimpse before he was shoved back into his dorm.

  
The soldier snarled at him. "All civilians are to stay inside until the attack is over!"

  
"Attack? What attack?" Bruce asked.

  
"The orange lanterns! They've come to steal out tech again! Can't you see?" With a plated arm, the soldier pointed at the window in Bruce's room, but before he could ask anymore questions, the door was slammed in his face.

  
"Huh." Bruce signed, and sat down on his bed. He looked at the glowing orange lights outside, most are still beyond the dome, but a few were already inside the capital, and engaged in a bloodthirsty battle with Krypton's finest. Streaks of energy blasts zoomed past the sky, along with the occassional explosion.

Something in him itched to go out and fight, but without his gear, that'd probably be suicide. For now, he's just a spectator.

A dark mass moved across the terrain, and at the front, several figures stood out with their shiny and distinctive armour. At the very front was Zod, mounted on some kind of dragon. Next to him was Faora and another commander. Bruce searched the crowd, hoping to find Kal, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  
Just as he was about to give up, a explosion cracked nearby, and Kal zoomed into the field riding on Kelex. On his command, the army surged forth, some began taking to the sky. Soon, most of the orange lanterns were forced to retreat due to the sheer number of soldiers, who were as impenetrable as lead.

  
Bruce smiled as he watched Kal somersault off Kelex and onto a screeching lantern. He took him out with zero effort, and fell back onto Kelex, as they flew gracefully away.

  
The battle was over as soon as it started.

* * *

  
Bruce went to find Kal as soon as the alarms stopped blaring. He rushed down to the streets, where hundreds of people were already gathered, waiting for their loved ones.

  
Soon, the warriors began to float down one by one, fading into the crowd with laughs and hugs. And at the corner of his eye, was the familiar shining blue armour.

  
"Kal!" Bruce rushed over to him, embracing the man in a tight hug.

"Hey Bruce." Kal smiled, and shrugged off his helmet, revealing a slightly flushed face and glistening forehead. Bruce breathed deeply.

  
"Uh...I..." Bruce stuttered, his mind a complete blank.

  
"Hey, uh, why don't we go inside?" Kal bit his lip, and ushered him away from the crowd. He took his hand and led them inside the complex, as if he was in a hurry.

  
The door slammed shut, startling Bruce back to his senses. "So, you wanted a bit of privacy?" He grinned.

  
"Well, actually..." Before Kal could respond, Bruce pressed him against the wall and kissed him full on the lips. He groaned, and soon felt those strong arms hugging his waist.

  
"When I saw you out there, you were so hot, plucking out people from the sky like they were insects." Bruce breathed, running his hands down the armour. "And this looks good on you as well."

  
"I...thanks." Kal grinned. "There's someone coming, do you wanna hide?"

  
At Bruce's perplexed expression, Kal motioned at his suit. "Heightened senses."

  
Bruce narrowed his eyes at him.

  
"Also... can we not... do that in public?" Kal smiled shyly, hiding the tenseness behind it. "I mean... the hugging."

  
"Oh!" Bruce took a step back, before smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise that made you uncomfortable. I promise I won't do that again."

  
Kal smiled weakly. "It's okay."

  
Bruce observed him closely. He was happy, yet nervous. The battle was over, what was there to worry about?

  
"Hey, you alright?" Bruce asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  
"Yeah! I... suddenly remembered, I need to go to the commander's meeting now..." Kal began walking down the street, picking up his pace.

  
"Wait-"

  
"I'm sorry! I'll come find you tonight!" Kal said, and ran out into the road without looking back.

  
Bruce heaved a sign and went back inside.

* * *

  
It was well past midnight, and Kal was nowhere to be seen.

  
Bruce pouted unhappily and slumped onto his bed. His heart ached, especially when Kal has acted so strange today. Being late wasn't his trademark, either. He scowled at the bed as if it could provide answers.

  
Maybe Kal was in trouble? The worrying thought made Bruce stand up at once, and he was tempted to go find him. However, wandering the unfamiliar streets by himself at night doesn't seem like a good idea. He wasn't sure about the crime rates on this planet, but there was a pretty high chance of running into Zod.

  
He slumped back into his bed, praying that Kal is alright, that he'll come next morning.


	10. Chapter 10

Kal was still missing the following morning.

  
As Bruce bolted down the streets, he asked everyone with the limited Kryptonian he'd picked up, but no one seemed to know where the commander was. Not even Diana. However, she did offer to search with him after her work shift.

  
"Where are you..." Bruce muttered as he scanned the towering buildings ahead. Kryptonopolis was too big, and he only knew a small part of it. Unconciously, he touched the bracelet on his wrist. Suddenly, he was brought back to the outskirts of the dome, where he and Kal sat under the burning sky, talking about themselves. There was a time where Kal's hand brushed past his own, a ghostly imprint on his wrist.

  
His head snapped towards the city borders. Kal must be out there.

  
He ran towards the borders, his heart racing with anxiety. What if Kal's not there? What if he's really in trouble- With a deep breath, he threw the ideas aside and picked up his pace, not caring if people stared at him.

  
Arriving at the border, Bruce stepped out without hesitation. However, the radiation of a red sun is ten times more intensified than a yellow sun's, and the second he left the dome, he felt his arms beginning to burn, and he quickly went back inside.

  
He scowled at the sun, rubbing at his arms, which are already turning pink.

  
"Where's the protective jelly when you need it..." He muttered.

  
"You wanted this?" A suprisingly neutral voice sounded out behind him. He turned around, and came face to face with General Zod. He tensed.

  
He quirked a grey eyebrow and handed him a tube. "Here. It works like sunscreen, but it can also reverse the effects of the sun."

  
Bruce accepted the offer wordlessly, never taking his eyes off Zod. His gesture and intention seemed harmless, he was in a simple robe like everyone, and even his expression seemed less grouchy. He gave the tube a once-over, decided that it was probably safe, and applied it to his arms.

  
Zod stared intensely at him. Feeling uncomfortable, Bruce shuffled on his feet. "So...why were you looking for me?"

  
He snorted as if he'd just told the funniest joke in the universe. "I'm not looking for you, I just happened to save you before you run out into the dome and kill yourself!"

  
"Well, I guess I'm in your debt, then." Bruce said.

  
Zod gave a toothy smile. "Well, since we'd never had a chance to properly talk to each other, maybe this is the chance for us to finally know more about each other!"

  
"Uh... this is actually not a good time, I'm trying to find Kal, do you know where he is?" Bruce asked, straining to keep a friendly smile.

  
"Kal? Oh, he's always running off by himself. Don't worry, you'll see him soon." Zod grinned. "Come, I have something to show you which would be of your interest."

  
Bruce lingered on the spot, weighting his options. This was an obvious trap. Not following Zod would probably earn him a hostile comment, nothing more, while following him... He remembered Kal's impression of his father, someone who murdured for power, who'd never given up on the throne.

  
But... he needed answers, and Zod might be the one to provide that, as dangerous as it seemed.

  
Zod stood a few steps away, tilting his head to the side.

  
With a grimace, Bruce began to follow him, and Zod gave him a huge grin. He may be walking straight into a trap, but that's what he did everyday back in Gotham. He'll just have to play his cards right.

  


* * *

  
All around them, people stared as Bruce followed mutely behind Zod. They whizzed pass the complex, until they're at somewhere beyond Bruce's knowledge. The lights were dimmer, and people were few and scattered.

Unconsiously, Bruce traced his way back, the path glowing bright in his mind.

  
Carefully, he observed the broad man striding in front of him. His eyes were straight on the road, and Bruce was sure that if he'd snuck away now he wouldn't notice, but he soon dismissed the idea. Curiousity and the desire for answers burned inside him, he gritted his teeth and continued following.

  
"Your heart rate is rising, is everything okay?" Zod asked suddenly, glancing at him.

  
_Super senses... how could I have forgotten?_ "Yeah, I just haven't been this far from my room." Bruce lied. _If I need to beat him, I'll have to destroy his yellow sun energy first..._

  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Zod chuckled, "My lab is quite far from the city centre."

  
"I see." Bruce said, playing along. "So, what do you do in your lab?"

  
"All sorts of things, mostly millitary-related, of course." Zod said, taking a sharp turn to the left and down a dark corridor. "Recently, scientists have discovered some rainbow-coloured rocks from space debris which have proven to have interesting effects on kryptonians. That is one of the things I wanted to show you."

  
They entered a gloomy lab, its lights flickering to life. Bruce squinted at the sight in front of him. It looked more like a storage room than a scientific research area.

  
"Why show this to me? I'm not even kryptonian." Bruce said, eyeing Zod carefully as he paced over to some boxes.

  
"Oh, precisely because you're not kryptonian." Zod laughed, sending chills up Bruce's spine. "I needed to test something..."

  
Before Bruce could react, the surrounding air materialized into perspex, trapping him in the middle of the lab. He growled, locking eyes with Zod, his hands balled into fists.

  
"What is this?" Bruce shouted, feeling the walls. "Some part of your evil plan?"

  
Zod chuckled, then flicked his hand. Several boxes crashed to the floor, revealing another transparant cell. With a sickening realization, Bruce noticed that Kal was in it, unconcious and bounded by chains.

  
"What the-" A ball of fury rose inside of him, threatening to take over his senses. "What did you do to him?! Let him go!"

  
At the outbreak, Kal stirred in his cell. When his eyes landed on Bruce, he widened them in horror.

  
"Bruce? Why are you..." Frantically, he tried to stand up, but was held down by the chains. "Zod! Why is he here? You promised..." He yelled, struggling against the bonds.

  
Zod smirked. "You really did believed me, didn't you? Oh, my son, you are so naive."

  
"I'm not your son!" Kal spat. "You killed my father!"

  
"Ah yes, and unfortunately, that was not enough for me to become king." Zod hissed spitefully, pacing around the lab. "But today, I will suceed. I'll make sure of it."

  
"You only wanted me, leave Bruce out of this!" Kal shouted.

  
"Oh, Kal. Did you forget the science lessons we had? A control set-up is essential. Also, further tests are crucial to determine the results of the experiment." Zod shoke his head in mock disappointment. "You weren't paying attention at all."

  
Before Kal could retort, Zod pulled out a lead-lined box, and using a pair of oversized tongs, held it in front of Kal's face. A small part of his cell dissolved, allowing the box to drop in. Kal eyed it warily.

  
"Go on. It's a present." Zod grinned.

  
Kal crossed his arms, refusing to touch the containment. Suddenly, the lid sprang open, launching a silvery rock into the air, before finally landing beside Kal's feet.

  
"What-" Before he could finish, Kal groaned and held his head in his arms. "Wh...what's happening to me?" He let out a shuddering breath and leaned forward, resting his forehead on the cool perspex walls. "I... this feels... weird."

  
"Kal..." Bruce looked at the man he loved, who's now breathing heavily, his brows pinched in concentration. He clenched his teeth. The sight alone is enough to make him kill.

  
Never taking his eyes off Kal, Bruce ran though a couple of plans in his head. He was already trapped here, even if he couldn't get out, he still needed answers. His idea was to distract Zod and waste enough time to get answers, or wait for Diana to find him. Zod was a smart man, but he just needed to play his cards right. He decided to put on the helpless act, as despicable as it was.

  
"Why are you doing this?" Bruce whined, trying his best to sound weak and powerless. He hated it.

  
Zod merely gave him a pathetic smirk, his entire concentration focused on Kal, on how he's reacting to the newly discovered stone.

  
Gritting his teeth, Bruce figured that there was no other way. Zod was the type who loves making others feel inferior to himself, and enjoy their suffering. Mentally cringing, he broke down and sobbed against the walls, banging his fists with added effect.

  
Zod was obviously suprised by this outbreak. Slowly, his eyes turned towards Bruce. He waltzed over and stood in front of him, watching with interest.

  
Bruce continued to bawl his eyes out.

  
"Oh stop that, it's getting annoying." Zod huffed, crossing his arms. "Your fate is the same whether you cry or not."

  
"I just...I can't..." Sobbing noisily, Bruce blew his nose on his sleeve, earning a disapproving glare from Zod. "I can't lose him... Please...I- " He hiccuped. "Please don't kill him."

  
"And why would I do that?" Zod smiled sweetly. "He's the reason why my plan is going to work."

  
"Bu-but..." Bruce continued to sob dramatically. "He's hurt!"

  
"He'll be fine." Zod glanced towards Kal, who's groaning into his arms, visibly in pain. "After the hallucinating element takes effect, it's you who should be worried."

  
"But I...I never did anything to you!" Bruce sniveled. The crying act was painfully exhausting.

  
Zod gazed into the distant, his face set in grim determination. "Oh, it's nothing personal. I just want my crown, and Kal is the only one who can help me get it."

  
"He'll never help you!" Bruce screamed.

  
"True. But when he can't tell the difference, or worse..." Zod's stony features broke into a menacing grin. "...mistake friend for foe."

  
Bruce stopped hiccuping.

  
"...He'll help me get rid of everyone who stand in my way! That brat Kara, the good-for-nothing committe..." Zod rubbed his hands together in glee. "He's the only one who can take on all of them at once. I would do it myself, but I'd rather not stain my new armour."

  
"You..." Bruce was at a lost for words. "You'll never get away with this. I won't allow it."

  
Zod burst into fits of laughter. "Oh, human, you overestimate yourself. The only reason why you're still alive is because I needed you for testing." He sneered. "You're not kryptonian, so you won't be affected by the stone. But you're not as strong as that warrior woman, so I'd have less trouble handling you."

  
"If you think I'm weak, than you're thoroughly wrong." Bruce growled, all signs of weeping gone in a flash.

  
Zod gave a lazy smirk. "We'll see about that."

  
With a snap of his fingers, the walls around Kal and Bruce dissipated into thin air. Losing support, Kal stumbled to the ground, heaving for breath.

  
"Time to see what the silver kryptonite can do." Zod smiled, leaned on a table, and poured himself a cup of tea.

  
Bruce stared in horror as Kal broke free of his chains, breathing raggedly and unsteadily. With a slow and lazy movement, he trained his eyes on Bruce, eyes filled with hatred . His fists clenched tightly at the side, veins bulging with tension.

  
"Kal... It's me." Bruce started towards him, but stopped as Kal's eyes suddenly shone a vicious red. His body reacted before his mind did, and he lunged towards the side, feeling a hot energy surge whizzing through just centimeters above his head. He looked back, finding a melting dent in the wall.

  
"Kal! You have to stop this!" He shouted as he dodged another beam, "You have to remember who you are!"

  
A sharper and faster beam took Bruce by surprise, grazing his left forearm. Instantly, red-hot pain shot up his arm and he gritted his teeth. He gazed at Kal, certain that this was it, only to find him hesitating, doubt and confusion flickering in his bloodshot eyes. I'll need another way to get through him, but how?

  
His eyes turned towards the lab, where Zod was enjoying the show. There, behind him on the table, was the yellow sun energy ray gun. Kal had said it enhances their abilities, so perhaps it can help him focus, and break free of the kryptonite? His head snapped back towards Kal, who's gripping his head tightly, seemingly locked in a battle between himself.

  
"Hang in there." He whispered as he bolted for the table, taking Zod by surprise and spilling tea all over the floor. He shoved past him and grabbed the gun. Before Zod could tackle him, he elbowed his face, temporarily putting him out of action. He took aim with the gun.

  
Suddenly, Kal snapped back to focus, and before Bruce knew it, he grabbed his injured arm, forcefully prying his hands away from the machine. Bruce kicked at him in vain, hissing in pain as he tried to free himself from Kal's iron grasp.

  
Kal stopped, staring him dead in the eye. Bruce scanned them desperately, hoping to find just a tiny piece of familiarity in them, only to be throughly disappointed. With a strong twist, he was flung to the opposing side of the room.

  
He coughed and tried standing up, wincing at the new ache on his hip. In a gust of wind, he was lifted to his feet, cold hands tightening around his neck. He clawed at the arm, hurting no one but himself.

  
"Kal... please..." He broke off, gasping for air as the hand tightened even more. Squeezing his eyes shut from the surging blood pressure in his head, one of his flailing legs managed to kick Kal in the groin. He merely cocked his head, as if mocking him.

  
Soon, his struggling slowed as his air began to run out. With red and black spotting his vision, Bruce took one last glimpse of the man he loved. Somehow, the fact that his face is the last thing he'll see relieves him, even if he's brainwashed.

  
"Kal, stop!" A female voice rang out, and a blast of yellow shot Kal in the back. On the verge of passing out, Bruce felt himself hit the floor, the pressure on his throat disappeared. Yellow hot energy filled the room, and he was vaguely aware of the building heat. He felt someone pull him up.

  
"Come on, Bruce!" That someone yanked him to his feet, helping him regain some of his conciousness. "Kara's got the ship ready, let's get out of this cursed land!"

  
"I..." Bruce squinted, feeling the ripple of an explosion far away. "Diana?"

  
"Yes, it's me." She smiled down at him, her golden face streaked with blood. "The ship's just beyond the borders, if we manage to get there..."

  
"We can go back." Bruce finished.

  
"Yes." Diana whipped her head around, then started pulling him again. Soon, they were out in the open, havng escaped through a hole in the wall.

  
The ground beneath them shook as another explosion rocked, but still they stumbled on, until they have crossed the dome, into the vast red desert stretching on for miles.

  
"Wait-" Bruce heaved, struggling to keep up. "What about Kal? He's still back there?"

  
"I blasted him with the yellow energy gun, wasn't sure it worked, the energy rebounced and sent the whole place up in flames!" Diana said.

  
"What?" Bruce almost stopped in his tracks. "We can't just leave him there!"

  
"There's no choice, we have to go! Zod's after us already, we have to get to the ship before he finds out-" A shot rang out from behind them, and they dived to the ground before a rocket went flying over their heads.

  
Bruce cursed and tried to stand up, only to collapse under a wave of dizziness. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of all the injuries he'd sustained, as well as the slow burn of the vicious sun above them.

  
Diana wrapped an arm around his shoulder and began dragging them away. All around them, shiny-armoured kryptonian soldiers began to close in, forcing them to stumble in another direction. Soon, they found themselves cornered at the edge of a cliff.

  
Bruce peered down as fear twisted in his stomach. It was higher than any of the buildings he'd leapt, and he doesn't even have a single gadget right now. Diana grimaced and faced the hoard of soldiers, her fists clenched tightly in determination.

  
Before he could turn and face the soldiers, he felt something hard hit his back, and he was sailing over the edge, faintly aware of Diana screaming his name. Wind whipped across his face as he accelerated downwards. Closing his eyes, he waited for the imminent impact, but instead felt himself starting to slow down. His eyes flew open, and saw Kal next to him.

  
He smiled like the sun, his body radiating warmth and energy as he brought them both slowly to the ground. He laid Bruce on the ground, careful not to hurt him.

  
"How did you... " Bruce trailed off, as he rushed up to hug him. Hesitantly, Kal returned the hug, his movements uncertain.

  
"Are you... are you okay?" Kal asked worriedly as they pulled away. His hand reached to touch Bruce's arm, but instead gave up at the last second, his head drooping in guilt.

  
I'm okay now, Bruce'd wanted to say, but his vision started swimming again, as he slumped back onto the ground, dizziness threatening to consume him.

  
The last thing he saw before he passed out was Kal frantically yelling for help.


	11. Chapter 11

His dreams were foggy, a complete haze of mysteries, punctured by a few memories of the past. Kal was there, Alfred as well, and Dick, Tim, Steph, Damian, Cass... everyone appeared for a few seconds in the dark before fading away to nothing. Finally, sounds became brighter and clearer, he could feel his own breathing, and the soft covers beneath.

  
Bruce's eyes fluttered open, before squinting shut again because of the sun. After a few seconds, when his eyes have adjusted, he allowed them to open again, and sat up straight immediately at the sight before him.

  
He was back in his bedroom, at Wayne manor.

  
"Wha... " At a lost for words, he glanced around the room, feeling relieved yet foreign at the same time. His head felt naked without the air mask, his room a little too spacious.

  
Suddenly, he realised that Kal isn't here, he's several million light years away on a hostile planet, there's no telling if he's even alive. His heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. _I didn't even get to say goodbye..._

  
_Kal..._ he took a shuddering breath, feeling his eyes heating up. _I'm so sorry..._

  
"Master Bruce!" A familiar voice sounded behind him.

  
"Alfred." Bruce smiled fondly at the old man, then grinned when he continued to stand at the door like a statue. "Alfred, it's me."

  
"I..." Alfred staggered towards the bed where Bruce caught him, then gripped his shoulders tightly. "I can't believe it, you're back!"

  
"I'm sorry, Alfred. I tried contacting you guys, I really did." Bruce hugged him, feeling his eyes heat up again.

  
"You've been gone for a whole month!" Alfred trembled in his embrace.

  
"I know, I'm so sorry." Bruce whispered, hugging him closer. "But I'm back now."

  
"When Ms. Prince brought you here... I thought you'd never wake up again. And I keep thinking how it's my fault, how I should've stopped you from going on that damned space mission..."

  
"Alfred, it's not your fault."

  
The old man grunted disapprovingly.

  
After a few seconds, Bruce released him, then scratched his head awkwardly. "So... Diana brought me here?"

  
"Yes. You were in a really bad state." Alfred frowned at him. "I suggest you take a break from patrolling and league missions for a while."

  
"Yeah..." Bruce touched his sore neck. "I'll have Dick continue to be Batman for the time being."

  
"Also, there's someone else." Alfred said. At Bruce's quizzical expression, he elaborated, "Ms. Prince brought someone else here, said he wanted to stay for a while."

  
Bruce's heart stopped. "Who?"

  
"A fellow with black hair and strange fashion choices. He didn't talk much, just sat in the bat-cave ever since you got here-"

  
Bruce was sprinting away before he knew it, his injuries and pain all forgotten. He punched in the code on the grandfather clock and stumbled into the cave, almost tripping down the staircase. He rushed into the cave, staring in disbelief.

  
There, in the centre of the cave, a huge clearing has been made for Kelex, who's happily munching up a pile of carrots on the ground, her tail curled around her body. Sitting comfortably on her tail was Kal.

  
"..." Bruce was at a lost for words, as his mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Kal looked up from his pondering and noticed Bruce, his face cracking into a wide smile.

  
"Bruce!" Kal appeared in front of Bruce in a gust of wind, hugging the man in his arms. Slowly, Bruce returned the hug, and rested his head onto his shoulder, closing his eyes in content.

  
"Why did you come?" Bruce asked, signing in the hug. "You should be on Krypton."

  
"Wherever you go is wherever I should be." Kal said simply.

  
Bruce huffed in amusement. "You sap."

  
Kal made a confused sound. "What? I meant it!"

  
"Good to know, then." Bruce giggled, leaning his head up in an attempt for a kiss. "Wherever my lips are is wherever yours should be."

  
Kal smiled down at him. "I won't be able to eat."

  
"Well I'm on the menu." Bruce whispered.

  
Within a fraction of a second, their lips met and they kissed passionately, releasing all the joy and love in seeing each other again. Their hands ran all over place, their tongues entwined. They were drowning in an ocean of estasy, neither willing to break the bond.

  
Finally, they broke apart, heaving for breath. Kal cupped Bruce's face and peppered it with kisses. "I love you, Bruce."

  
He blushed, looking straight into Kal's sappaire eyes. "I love you too, Kal."


	12. Epilogue

~Many weeks later~

"Soooo, let me get this straight. You crashed into a habitable planet and got yourself a hot alien boyfriend, complimentary with a giant alien pet?"

  
Bruce's mouth thin. "Not the best summary, Hal, but yes."

  
"Oh my gosh. I wanna go there." Hal slumped in pretend sadness.

  
"Well..." Kara stood near Diana, who's arm was looped around her waist protectively. "Zod's most probably in charge now. I won't recommend going back there." She dipped her head sadly. "I just... I can't believe he'd really do that..."

  
"We're lucky we got out in one piece." Kal signed, gazing at Bruce. Unconciously, his eyes travelled to the scar on his forearm caused by his heat vision, and guilt filled his heart once more.

  
Bruce inched close to Kal and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  
Desperate to change the gloomy atmosphere, Barry quipped, "What's up with the S?" He asked, pointing at the sheid symbol on Kal's chest.

  
"Well, it stands for hope." Kal explained for the hundreth time.

  
"Yeah, but here, on Earth... it's an S." Barry said, leaning back into his chair. "B-man's right, we need a superhero name for you guys, it's what we all do!" He sat back upright, feet tapping the floor in excitement. "Oh! And cool gadgets! And signature weapons! Ooh, this is awesome, I'm helping to create a superhero!"

  
"I...I'm actually still stuck on the naming part." Kal scratched his head. "Bruce suggested some... interesting ones."

  
"I still think SolarShield is a good name." Bruce stated.

  
"What about Solarman?" Arthur suggested.

  
"Ew no, Arthur! You know I hate the something-man naming!" Hal exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

  
"But..." Barry started.

  
"No, just no."

  
"What about Sunman and Sunwoman?" Diana remarked.

  
"What did I just say?" Hal signed, then turned towards the door. "I'm out, you guys have fun."

  
"Wonderful, now that he's gone, we can continue." Diana smirked. "What about The Sunlight?"

  
"Sexyman!" Barry yelled before quickly covering his mouth.

  
"Stupidman." Bruce muttered under his breath.

  
"Um, actually, I was thinking, how about Supe-" A noisy blarring cut Kal mid-sentence. Within a second, everyone was clustered at the league monitors, eager to save the day.

  
"Gorilla Grodd in Munich, code red. You know your roles, lets go!" Bruce commanded, putting on his cowl. Instantly, everyone sped away except for Kal and Kara, who stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

  
He turned towards the two kryptonians. "You can join Barry on crowd control, but if you feel up to it, you can always join the battle." He patted them firmly on the shoulders. "Your first mission as a leaguer, how're you guys feeling?"

  
Kara smiled brightly. "Awesome! I'm totally ready!"

  
"It's so cool to finally see your world, Bruce." Kal smiled. "And don't worry about us, I learnt from the best." Kal gave him a wink.

  
"Alright, _Superman_." Bruce teased, releasing the two. "Time to introduce the world our newest members of the Justice League."

  
"Yay!" Kal pumped his fists in the air. "I'll go get Kelex!"

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art masterpost - Recontre](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19786843) by [3226629](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3226629/pseuds/3226629)




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